My Infinite Cultivation System-Chapter 115: Casually killing a team

Alex’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the interface.

One hundred million points.

He checked his balance again. Ten thousand. The difference was a vast chasm, wide enough to swallow any hope of a quick solution. But Alex did not despair. He had faced worse odds before. The trial ground was designed for conflict. Points came from hunting, from killing, from claiming what belonged to others.

He looked down at Ember.

The small dragon slept on his chest, its dull gray scales a stark reminder of the price already paid. Its breathing was faint, but steady. Alex’s jaw tightened as he watched it.

"Give me the feedback strength," he muttered.

Boom.

The surge hit him like a collapsing star.

Energy erupted from his core and flooded every cell of his body. His muscles tensed violently. His bones creaked under the sudden pressure. Veins bulged along his arms and neck before settling as his body adapted to the influx. The ground beneath him cracked in thin lines, unable to bear the brief outburst.

Sixty five thousand planet level strength rushed into him.

His eyes widened slightly.

The number alone was staggering. But Alex understood multiplication. With his twenty six times gene strength, that base power amplified into something far beyond ordinary. Five star level strength. Enough to crush most opponents without effort.

And that was before dragon transformation.

With that, his strength would skyrocket to one hundred star level. Even the most powerful geniuses in the trial ground, those born into noble families and those blessed by celestial talents, rarely reached such heights.

Alex clenched his fist.

The air around his fingers compressed audibly. A faint ripple spread outward as pressure condensed into a visible distortion.

"Enough," he said quietly.

He looked at the three beasts surrounding him. The serpent’s massive form remained coiled protectively nearby. The dragon horse stood alert, its eyes fixed on him. Ember rested on his chest, still weak.

"Enter my shadows," Alex commanded.

The serpent moved first. Its enormous body dissolved into darkness, sinking into the shadow beneath Alex’s feet like water draining into soil. The dragon horse followed a moment later, its warm presence vanishing without resistance.

Only Ember remained.

Alex gently lifted the small dragon and cradled it against his chest. Its breathing remained faint but stable.

"You stay with me," he whispered.

Then he vanished.

The frozen realm dissolved around him.

Alex reappeared beneath a massive tree. Its canopy stretched outward like an umbrella, blocking the harsh light filtering through the trial ground’s artificial sky. The trunk was ancient and gnarled, thick enough that ten men holding hands could not circle it. The bark shimmered faintly with vitality, and golden fruit hung across the branches.

But Alex did not notice the tree immediately.

He noticed the two groups standing face to face.

Tension crackled between them like lightning before a storm. Weapons were drawn. Auras clashed. Neither side was willing to retreat.

"Haris, we found this tree first. Leave or die," the leader of one team threatened.

His name was Jake. Alex could see the exhaustion clinging to him and his four companions. Their clothes were torn. Their breathing was uneven. They had clearly fought something dangerous recently and barely survived.

The opposing team showed no such weakness.

Their leader stepped forward with a smirk twisting his lips. Haris. His eyes burned with arrogance, with absolute certainty that he stood above those before him.

"Hahaha. What are you talking about?" Haris laughed. The sound was sharp and mocking. "Do you think you can beat us? We are going to kill you anyway. This vitality apple tree is just a bonus."

Jake’s face turned pale.

His teammates shifted uneasily behind him. They knew the name. Everyone in the trial ground knew Haris. Ranked twenty third. Eternal grade talent, Flame Manipulation. Ruthless. Brutal. He had killed more than fifty participants since entering.

"Damn it," Jake roared, forcing courage into his voice. "We will fight you to death."

Haris snorted with disdain.

He raised his hand.

The air above him rippled. Heat gathered. Purple flames erupted from nowhere, spiraling together, condensing into a single massive spear that hovered above his head. The Doomsday Spear. The temperature around them skyrocketed. Jake’s team stumbled backward, shielding their faces from the oppressive heat.

Jake’s heart stopped.

He could feel the threat radiating from that spear. It was not ordinary fire. It was eternal grade talent holder’s flame.

"Die, weaklings," Haris muttered.

He prepared to thrust his hand forward.

"No," Jake roared.

He closed his eyes.

His teammates followed suit.

The heat grew unbearable. The pressure mounted. Death approached with every passing heartbeat.

But the pain they expected never came.

The heat vanished.

The pressure shifted instantly.

Jake opened his eyes to see what was going on.

Someone was hovering in the air above them.

The figure was young. Impossibly young to possess such presence. His silver hair cascaded past his shoulders, catching the light like frozen moonlight. His eyes were sapphire blue, cold as the deepest winter, empty of emotion. His features were sharp and refined, beautiful in a way that seemed almost inhuman.

He held something small against his chest. A dragon. Tiny, looked weak and pale.

Haris and his entire team were pressed flat against the ground.

Invisible force pinned them there. They struggled. They thrashed. But none of them could move. The same pressure that should have killed Jake’s team now crushed Haris’s arrogance into the dirt.

"What..." Jake could not finish the sentence.

Haris ranked twenty third. Haris possessed eternal talent. Haris was supposed to be untouchable.

And yet this newcomer treated him like nothing.

Then Jake remembered.

The silver hair. The sapphire eyes. The rumors spreading through the safe zones like wildfire. A newcomer who had appeared from nowhere. A participant whose bounty had reached fifteen thousand points within hours.

Alex.

Jake’s blood ran cold.

Alex raised his free hand.

His fingers spread slightly.

Then he closed his fist.

Crack.

Haris’s five team members disintegrated.

Not exploded. Not burned. Disintegrated. Their bodies broke apart into fine particles, scattering in the wind like dust. No screams. No blood. No resistance. Simply gone.

[You have gained 123,567 points.]

[Congratulations. You have entered the points ranking.]

[Rank: 22]

Alex heard the system’s voice and nodded slightly. Twenty second. Not enough. He needed higher. Much higher.

"Leave this area," Alex said coldly, looking at Jake. "This tree belongs to me."

Jake did not hesitate.

"Thank you, thank you, sir," he stammered.

He and his four teammates bowed deeply, repeatedly, their movements jerky with fear and relief. Then they fled. They ran without looking back, disappearing into the frozen terrain within seconds.

He approached the tree.

Vitality apples hung from its branches. Five hundred thirty two of them, each glowing with faint golden light. They possessed healing properties. They could restore wounds, cure poisons, and extend lifespans in small increments. Not enough to fix Ember. But valuable nonetheless.

Alex began plucking them one by one.

The fruits vanished into his storage space as soon as his fingers touched them. The tree gradually emptied, its glow dimming slightly as the last apple disappeared.

[You have gained 100 reputation points for entering the top 100 on your first day.]

Alex nodded.

Five thousand reputation points were needed to become Merlin’s disciple. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

He looked at Ember again.

The small dragon remained asleep, its breathing faint but steady. The dull gray scales reflected faint golden light from the harvested fruits.

"Not enough," Alex murmured.

He turned away from the tree.

His figure blurred.